The 2012 Meursault Village Rouge, of which there is just a barrel and a half, has a lively strawberry and pomegranate bouquet. The palate is balanced with a keen thread of acidity, although I noticed just a slight greenness coming through on the finish, ergo the more parsimonious score for now.

This could be considered a real oddity. A red Meursault? Twenty-three years old? Coche-Dury? Rather, it is simply a delicious Pinot Noir untrammeled by age. It is still in possession of a lively, chunky nose of pomegranate, cranberry and thyme that is well-defined and vigorous. It’s the kind of bouquet that gives you a big hearty thump on the shoulder whenever you meet. The palate has a stemminess on the entry that is inescapable, but that just adds to the charm of this wine that is so simple but self-effacing. I suspect most bottles were blithely consumed many moons ago – so what a privilege to encounter a bottle with maturity. Tasted September 2013.